LOS ANGELES, Oct. 11, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The first comprehensive nursing school to be built in California in decades, and the first ever for South Los Angeles, will be named The Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in honor of the renowned California Assemblyman, former State Senator, Lieutenant Governor, and U.S. Congressman. The announcement was made by President Susan Kelly on the campus of the Charles Drew University at last weekend's 17th Annual Jazz at Drew festival. Surprising Assemblyman Dymally as he addressed the large crowd, a banner bearing the new name unfurled behind him.
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A special award given to the Honorable Dr. Dymally read by Dr. Kelly stated: "You have fought for this university, the people of South Los Angeles and all Californians to ensure access to quality health care, educational opportunities and civil and human rights. Your unfailing loyalty, determination and political skill have enabled the Charles R. Drew University to achieve excellence in the education of thousands of minority health professionals, and national prominence in research that is used on reducing health disparities."
Dr. Kelly noted that since 1971 and the passage of SB 1026, through Assemblyman Dymally's often single-handed efforts, the university has secured more than $340 million to develop programs, construct buildings, train professionals, build infrastructure and win the support of decision-makers across the nation.
The special tribute to Assemblyman Dymally concluded, "Your skill and determination were invaluable in the creation of an institution whose dedication to serving communities and individuals in need mirrors your own. The Charles Drew University salutes the greatest advocate and supporter that it will ever know."
Completely surprised and honored, Chairman Dymally accompanied by his wife, Alice Gueno Dymally, stated, "For the first time in my political career, my staff kept a secret from me. I am truly humbled by the Board of Trustees' decision to name this school in my honor. For decades, this university has served our community with pride -- I know the work of this school shall continue to improve the health status of our poor and underserved constituents."
"Not only will the Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing serve as an outstanding complement to our curriculum, but in time, its undergraduate and graduate programs will address the acute and painful shortages of nurses and nursing faculty that exist throughout California and the entire country," Dr. Kelly added. "The shortages are greatest among minority nurses and nurse educators. Being in the largest urban underserved area in the nation and with proven expertise in producing committed minority health professionals, the university will focus on these particular shortage areas."
California consistently ranks 49th or 50th nationwide in the number of registered nurses per capita, with 30% fewer nurses than the national average. The Federal Health Resources and Services Agency estimates that by 2010, California will need more than 42,000 additional nurses to meet the demand, which it describes as "a target that more than likely will not be met because of the inability of the current nursing education program to prepare sufficient numbers of professionals." This shortage of nurses is expected to grow to more than 120,000 by the year 2020.
The new Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing will be in the College of Science and Health and will occupy the new Research and Nursing building, set to open in August 2009. Its first program will accept 40 individuals with non-nursing baccalaureate degrees in fall 2008 into an 18-month accelerated Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. The University's College of Science and Health is led by Dr. Gail Orum-Alexander.
The new nursing facility and curriculum are key components of a major growth initiative by the University, which is also developing a four-year medical school program, expanding partnerships with other medical schools and increasing its already powerful research capabilities. The University is ranked seventh among all medical schools receiving research funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH).
A senior member of the California State Legislature, Assemblyman Dymally's long and illustrious career began as a school teacher working with handicapped children in the Los Angeles Unified School District. His first elected office was in 1962 as a state assemblyman and four years later he became the first African American to serve in the State Senate. He continued to make history when, in 1974, Dymally was elected the first African American Lieutenant Governor in the United States. He served in the U.S. Congress for South Los Angeles from 1981 to 1992. He currently represents the culturally diverse 52nd Assembly District, which includes Compton, Watts, Willowbrook, Paramount, North Long Beach and South Los Angeles. He is chair of both the Assembly Health Committee and the Legislative Black Caucus.
The Charles Drew University is the only academic health sciences center in an area of 1.6 million people-the largest urban underserved area in the United States. The university is also the nation's only dually designated Historically Black Graduate Institution and Hispanic Serving Health Professions School. It was formally created from the ashes of the Watts Rebellion in 1965. Since 1971, The Charles Drew University has graduated over 500 medical doctors, 2,500 specialist physicians, 2,000 physician assistants and hundreds of other, mainly minority, health professionals. Research shows that the vast majority of these professionals are still serving the people in greatest need a decade or more after graduation.
Further information about The Charles Drew University may be found on its website at http://www.cdrewu.edu.
ABOUT THE CHARLES DREW UNIVERSITY:
A private non-profit educational institution in the Watts-Willowbrook area of South Los Angeles, The Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science has provided quality college, graduate and post-graduate education and training to thousands of qualified minority and other students for more than 35 years. As part of its mission, the University has also provided urgently needed healthcare services to chronically underserved residents of the poorest communities in Los Angeles County, serving the 1.7 million citizens in its 94-square-mile service area. If this service area were a municipality, it would be the fifth largest city in the U.S.
The University is widely regarded as an innovative medical education university pioneering in teaching doctors and healthcare professionals, and in conducting quality research, to deal with the special needs of the poor, chronically ill populations in the inner city. By expanding relationships with local medical school, research institutions and community-based organizations, the University is focused on eliminating health care disparities by providing access to and delivery of vital health care services to underserved populations. The University has been remarkably successful in achieving its primary goal of producing physicians and other healthcare professionals who return to the community to serve people who are uninsured or underinsured. It has graduated over 500 medical doctors, 2,500 physician specialists, 2,000 physician assistants and hundreds of other health professionals.
The Charles Drew University's unique environment of providing medical education has been lauded as a national model. Research shows both that its students become more committed to the mission as they progress through their medical education and that 10 years after graduation, 70% of Charles Drew University trained physicians are still working with underserved populations.
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